Don't know where to eat? Ask Wheedle

If Wheedle can convince Clevelanders to use the app it's about to launch, the chic restaurant Lago finally will have a way to target those people who sit around debating where they want to go for dinner.

The Cleveland-based startup company is in the process of recruiting restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues that want to use the new app, which works like Groupon, but in reverse: Instead of getting a steady stream of daily deals, people type in what they want to eat or do, then establishments offer them deals and perks in an effort to win their business. The establishment would then pay Wheedle a fee for each person who shows up. Lago, an Italian restaurant on the east bank of the Flats, and about 30 other local establishments signed up to try out an early version of the software during a three-week test run last October. Over the course of a few days, Lago sent Wheedle offers to roughly 10 people and groups. Two of them ended up making reservations, according to Andrew Czarzasty, chief operating officer of the Salerno Group Restaurants. If Wheedle can get enough people to use the new version of the app — which is scheduled to launch on July 9 — it could become a powerful marketing tool, according to Czarzasty. His reasoning: Why wouldn't a restaurant like Lago want to make special offers to people who explicitly state that they're planning to spend more than $30 per person on a random Tuesday night? “You're going to say, "Yes, come eat here, please,' ” he said. Wheedle aims to have at least 75 local restaurants on board when its new app launches, according to Brian Stein, Wheedle cofounder and president. At the same time, however, the company also needs to convince people to download and use the app — which Stein said could be the company's biggest challenge. “We need to grow those curves in lockstep,” he said. Wheedle plans to spend about $100,000 to market the app in conjunction with the launch. For instance, the company will be sending out “street teams” to promote the app in places like the Warehouse District, Ohio City and Tremont. They can afford it: The company recently raised $550,000 from an individual investor and a family investment group, both of whom have experience owning restaurants. Wheedle has restaurant experience, too. The company's CEO, J.P. Weston, came up with the idea while doing marketing for Corporate Management Group, which owns restaurants like the Barley House, Town Hall and Willoughby Brewing Co. He often used social media to hunt for people having a birthday or planning to go out. He offered discounts, free party bus transportation and even told people they could meet the DJ. But it was hard to talk to people who didn't already follow Barley House on sites like Facebook and Twitter. And it was “a lengthy process,” Weston said. “Why isn't there somewhere I can go where people say, "Hey, I want to go out. What can you do for me?' ” he said. Barley House also was among the establishments that tested the early version of the software, which is still available at WheedleApp.com. However, the company aims to retrain all of them on how to use the new mobile app, which will contain features such as “Auto Wheedling” — which will allow establishments to automatically send offers to anyone who makes a particular type of request. For instance, if a local bar typically is slow at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, it could tell the app to automatically send offers to anyone who says they want to go out in Cleveland for a happy hour on a Tuesday. The software also asks how many people will attend, how much they each plan to spend and whether they're visiting for a specific purpose, like a corporate event or a bachelor party. “Eventually, we want to be the eHarmony of reservations,” Stein said. For now, there's only one location you can choose: Cleveland. However, Wheedle plans to expand into Chicago next, using the money it already raised. And eventually it plans to broaden its services. For instance, maybe people could one day use Wheedle to shop for a hair salon or a tailor, Stein said. “I could say, "Here are my measurements. I want a custom suit,' ” he said.